Heating container for rapid preparation of hot drinks



Jan. 15, A GOURGUES A 2,582,865

HEATING CONTAINER FOR RAPID PREPARATION OF HOT DRINKS 6 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 26. 1946 HTTORNE YS Jan. 15, 1952 A. GouRGUEs HEATING CONTAINER FOR RAPIID PREPARATION OF HOT DRINKS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 26, 1946 INVENTOR: /lLER- oukques HEATING CONTAINER FOR RAPID PREPARATION OF' HOT DRINKS Filed NOV. 25, 1946 A. GoURGuE-s Jan. l5, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR. /hafrer 600k@ afs Jan. 15, 1952 A, GOURGUE'S 2,582,865

HEATING CONTAINER FOR RAPID PREPARATION OF HQT DRINKS i INVENTOR; /hf/U Goa/M065 BY V Jan. 15, 1952 A. GOURGUES HEATING CONTAINER FOR RAP-ID PREPARATION OF HOT DRINKS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 26,- 1946 FIG. 8

INVENTOR: #Lef/er Gouna/f5 H TTORNE YS Jan. 15, 1952 A. GouRGUl-:s 2,582,865

HEATING CONTAINER FOR RAPID PREPAI-KIATION OF HOT DRINKS Filed Nov. 26, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. IO

IN VEN T 0R.'

HTTOR'NEYS Patented Jan. 15, 1,952

HEATING CONTAINER Fon RAPID PREP- ARATION oF HornaINKs Albert Gourgues, Lyon, France Application November ze, 194e, serial No. 712,390 In France September 14, 1946 7 Claims.

My invention has for its object a heating container or the like apparatus adapted to produce hot drinks.

It has for its chief object to allow such apparatuses vto be used in a more practical manner and chiefly to allow easier drinking at any place and under any 'circumstances of the hot beverage so prepared.

It consists chieiiy for Vthis purpose in providing the heating container whatever may be the manner of' heating the same,`with a telescopic tube which in 'its inoperative position is held 'enclosed inside the container and which, when the heating'is performed and' has brought the prepared liquid drink Vto a suitable temperature, emerges through the cover ofsaid receiver and projects thus to the outside thereof after the manner of a 'straw Vor'suction tube,`while bursting under the action of a thrust spring, through a fusible part made of a low temperature meltingalloy holding itin place up to said moment.

As disclosed' hereinabove, this arrangement of an automatically rising tube allows drinking the prepared beverage by sucking it in the same manner as with a straw' without requiring a cup or the like container and it is applicable to any heating container` But it seems to be of particular interest in its application to containers heated through an exothermic reaction because it complements them advantageously to this end.

My invention covers also in association vwith said system a novel* design of this kind of receivers according to which the substances producing the exotherrnic reaction are located at the center of said receiver in a iiuidtight casing constituted by a cylindrical cartridge radiating heat in all directions into the liquid mass surrounding it; said icasing may be advantageously a removable one so as to vallow after utilisation and through a very simple handling the reloading of the container for the `subsequent preparation, immediately or otherwise, of another hot drink. In this case, the fusible part retaining in place the tube and which has melted is also designed in a manner such that it may easily be replaced by a newfusible part. f I

This type of apparatus is on the other hand of considerable interest for the use of the special bags opening Y automatically also through the agency of a low melting alloy which forms the object of my copendingU. S. application Ser. No. 712,389 filed on November 26, 1946, and er1- titled: Bag or Case for Food Products; however the composition of the fusible element should be selected in this case in a manner such that the fusible forming part of the bag may melt at a lower temperature than that holding the tube.

A heating receiver .provided with such improvements allows thus the preparation in a few minutes when travelling or on an excursion, in other words at any place and under any circumstances of a hot drink which may then be drunk without resorting to any external means and which according to the nature of the product contained in the bag vintroduced in the apparatus may be, for'instance, without this enumeration being of course limitative, cofee, tea, milk, chocolate, sugared and spiced or not, a punch, a suitable infusion of lime, mint, 'camomila vervaine etc. consomm, meat extract and the like.

My invention will be 'better understood'by referring to the accompanying drawings showing by way of example a certain number of forms of construction of heating containers of various designsembodying an unique basic concept. In said drawings r Fig. l is an elevational cross sectional view through the axis thereof of the simplest form of construction of a container adapted to be heated through a chemical reaction and provided with its suction tube, said container being 'designed as a non rellable container, which should be thrown away after the preparation and drinking of the infusion or solution of the product which has been introduced inside it at the moment of its preparation.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan View. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l corresponding tothe moment after reaction and release of the drinking tube.

Fig. 4 shows the manner of replacing the fusible element of the drinking tube.

Figs. 5 and 6 show in the same two abovementioned positions one form of a rellable container.

Figs. 'l and 8 are 4corresponding views in the same two positions of another form of construction of the container.

Fig. 9 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing a container provided with a steam recovering system. l y

As shown in the different gures, the apparatus comprises a fluidtight container over the body l of which are fitted for instance at 2 a bottom 3 and a cover 4. Said apparatus is designed as follows:

On the bottom of the vcontainer is provided, on the inside thereof and on the left-hand-side of the figures of the accompanying drawings a boss or swelling 5 serving as a bearing and retaining means for a tube 6 notched at its base at 1 and vcarrying at its upper end a collar 3 serving as a guiding and stopping abutment for a still further tube 9 of smaller diameter which when located inside the preceding tube 6 is submitted to the action of a thrust spring I and includes at its lower end a circular shoulder II with a joint I2.

The upper part of this tube 9 is capped by a removable hood I3 and it is held in position inside the container by reason of its bearing under the action of the thrust spring I0 against a fusible element I4 of an alloy melting at low temperature such for instance as the Wood or Darcet type of alloy, carried by the cover 4.

Whatever may be the manner of heating the container, and whether its design is that of any of the accompanying figures, the operation of this system of telescopic tubes 6 and 9 is as follows:

- When the drink is prepared and it has reached a suitable temperature of the magnitude of 90 to 95 C., the fusible part I4 melts and releases thus the tube 9. The latter is urged by the spring I0 through the cover and moves outwardly (Figs. 3, 6, 8 and 10) and projects beyond the casing until the collar Il with the joint I2 abuts against the restricted portion or collar B forming an abutment at the end of the stationary tube 6.

In said Figures 3, 6, 8 and 10, the reference number I5 denotes the drops of molten fusible material.

For drinking, it is then sufcient to remove the hood I3 the object of which is to prevent the molten fusible part I4 from entering the tube 9 and choking same. The tube should then be brought to the mouth for drinking through suction in the same manner as with a straw, which is much more practical than to have to pour the contents of the receiver into a glass or a cup, as said heating container system is chiefly intended for use when travelling by automobile, railroad, airplane or ship or in any particular circumstances liable to produce violent shocks, in which case it is diicult to pour the liouid into a glass or cup and to drink it without spilling some of it.

The different gures of the drawings show different manners of executing such a heating container.

In the form of Figs. 1 and 2, designed for throwing away after use, the cover 4 of the receiver includes at its center a port inside which is fitted a tube I6 closed at both ends and the upper end I1 of which is slightly flaring so that its frictional fitting inside the opening in the cover 4 may ensure the final watertightness of the container and prevent the liquid 2| containedV therein from being spilled outside the container.

' Inside said tube I B and in its center, is located another tube I8 of smaller diameter which is provided with a number of small openings I9 and is filled with glass threads 20.

The tube I6 is filled with a mixture of solid substances 22 adapted to produce an exothermic reaction in the presence of an oxidising liquid. Said mixture of substances is also capped by a layer of glassthreads 20.

The upper cover of the tube I6 is provided at its center with a port 23, acting as a funnel above the central tube I8.

Moreover, the tube I6 includes at its lower part a plurality of spring blades 24 forming claws for holding between them a receiver 25 provided for this purpose with an annular groove 26 allowing its easy introduction and removal.

This receiver 25 contains the foodstuff 21 of which it is desired to obtain a decoction or solution and it is closed at its lower end in a fluidtight manner by a cover 23 welded thereto by means of a fusible part 229 melting at a temperature of the magnitude of 60 to 65 C.

Lastly, on the outer wall of the body I of the container is located a removable reservoir 32 held fast by one or more collars 33 and which is closed by a screw plug 34 and contains the oxidising liquid product 35. Near its bottom, said reservoir 32 is provided with a surface element 36 which may be easily perforated by means of a needle.

For the preparation of a hot decoction or solution of the product 21, it is sufficient after separating the reservoir 32 from the container I to I unscrew the plug 34 and to empty the contents of the reservoir as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 into the port 23. In order to allow the liquid to ow out freely, it is sufficient to perforate the receiver at 36 by means of any needle such as that shown at 31. The oxidizing liquid enters the central tube I8 and through the openings I9 of said tube it comes into contact with and impregnates the mass 22 of the solid mixture to be oxidised. The exothermic reaction is then immediately initiated and the mass reaches rapidly a high temperature of the magnitude 'of 130 to 140 C. which leads to a rapid heating of the water 2l inside which said mixture is placed.

When the water 2I has reached a temperature of the magnitude of to '75 C. the fusible part 29 melts and releases the cover 28 (Fig. 3). The product contained inside the receiver 25 comes then into contact with the hot water and dissolves therein or is admixed with said hot water for producing the desired hot drink.

The above described apparatus is more particularly designed for use as a device adapted to be utilized but in a single instance, i. e., it should be thrown away after use.

It may also be advantageously designed under a form adapted to be reused after refilling; this is the case for instance when it is designed under either form of construction illustrated in Figs. 5, 7 and 10 and also in Fig. 4, as concerns the fusible part I4 of the drinking tube.

As a matter of fact it is necessary in this case not only to provide for the possible reloading of the container with water and the replacement of the cartridge formed by the tube I6 and also of the bag or container 25, but also for the replacement of the fusible part I4. For this purpose (Fig. 4) said fusible part may be advantageously fitted inside the central opening of a small plug 38 adapted to be screwed on the mouthpiece 39 -secured to the stationary cover 4 of the apparatus.

It is thus sufficient after said fusible part has melted to unscrew the plug 38 and to replace it, after having forced the drinking tube 9 to recede inside 'the apparatus, by a spare plug provided with a new fusible part.

This system including a removable fusible part has been shown separate in Fig. 4, but obviously it may replace the fusible part I4 illustrated diagramamtically in Figs. 5 to 10, the manner of showing the fusible part being resorted to only for the sake of making the reading of the drawing simpler.

Revertingl tol Figi. 52,1 the? form of -fconstruction depicted Vthereinrshows ailcontainer `adapted `to be relled while thefreservoir` 32r containing the oxidizing rliquid"r"caps directly. the tubular' cartridge I 6 containing the materiarto be oxi` dised.

This tubuiar--cariridgefle is rigid :with a @up tting of.l the cup 42 being simila'rhtc` that-gen-v erally used for closing the-sofcalled coin operated containers.

tothe bag` or case25-,sfilled with the product 21, it is held as in the preceding. embodimentby claws 24 arranged Aunderneath; the 1.-'5 tubular cartridge I6; The*closing-@means incorporated therewith may besimilar tor that of the embodi ment of Fig. 1, but. itmay'also'be vconstructed by holding its'coverv28Y fast against a1joint"4`4 under the action of a 'rodf'45fsecuredfto the opposite-side ofthe bag or` case considered; said rod isz'se.- cured tothe oppositei sdeiof the bag 'for case which is in direct contact with the bottom ofi the tubular cartridge 'through a smallV welding piece I29 of an alloy I`meltingV atlow temperature, with the `insertion inside the casefof. a compressed spring-46 the ends -of-Jwhich *are secured to 'the corresponding hat sides ofthe bagoiicase.

The Voperation Iwill/be readilyf'understood and. the. manner `of` `using 'the heating containert is 'as' ing, to unscrew the plug 34v and to introduce a' needle 31 through the corresponding-.opening41, for perforating-the bottom `of the' reservoir32 which allows flowiof the-oxidising liquid 35- into the tube I8. Theroperati'on is from this moment onwards identical with that of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. l except for the fact that the opening of the bagor-COntainer, hereinafter referred to as a case 25 is obtained through the forced outward projection ofthe cover 28 under the action of the expansion of the spring 46 when the fusible element |29 has melted `(see Fig. 6).

Once the? drink has been consumed, it is suihcent for reiilling the container and allowing a subsequent use thereof, to introduce any suitable device such as a coin-betweenfthe edge `-of the cover 4 and the edge of the cup 42 for releasing the latter and allowing it to be removedlfr'om the apparatus, together withthe 'reservoir 32, the tubular cartridgeH I6 Vand'thebag or container25 with its cover-28 `hanging to thespring46pall said members beingl connected together.

fIt is then possibleto `againfill'4 with water4 the receiver throughitheiopening-I of its cover and to reinsert a new cartridge Iii-with its reservoir 32 after engagement inside the'claws 24 of a-,bag or a case 25 enclosing the substances of" which it is desired to obtain a decoction or solution.

After replacing the fusible part I4 of the suction pipe, the apparatus is thus ready for further operation, which further operation may, as a matter of fact, be required only a very long time later. Figs. 7 to 9 show another form of construction which differs from that of Figs. 5 and 6 only in the manner of perforating the reservoir 32, which requires a still simpler operation and may be performedvery easily byrthedriver of an.autoniobile.y

abi'cyclerunner for instance or the like without losing control of his wheel or handlefbar, merely by means of a'partial rotation imparte'dftV a handle, requiring only onehand for operation.

. To this end, the cup 42 inside which is located the reservoir32n is capped by a transverse'bar 59 on the underside of which issecured through a screw 5I a tapped nut 52A having a highr pitch andthreaded in its turn inside a tapped member 53 rigid with the plate 54 carrying the handle 55.

The lower surface of said plate 54 carries a keen spike 56 andbetween said plate and-the upper surface of the reservoir 32 is inserted a spring 51. On its opposite side, said reservoir is held raised by Asprings 58 bearing against a ledge provided on the cup 42.

Lastly, between the lower surfaceof this-reservoir 32 and the'upper part of the cartridge housed inside a cylindrical extension 49 of the cup 42. may be inserted one or more spikes 59 arranged above the tube or tubes I8 of the cartridge, of which three are shown in the example considered.

The springs 51 and 58 hold the reservoir 32 oating at equal distances between the spikes 56` and 59.

To produce the how of oxidisi'ng liquid 35 out of the reservoir, it is then sui'cient to make the handle 55 execute about one half revolution (Fig. 8) which produces through the agency of the coarse pitchscrews 52, v53, a sinking movement of the plate 54, which compresses the springs 51 and 58 and' produces first the perforation of the upper. wall of the reservoir 32 through the spike 56 and then that of its lower wall through the spikes 59. The oxiclising liquid 35 ows then into the tubes I8 of the heating cartridge through the ports G0 provided in the wall forming a permanent bearing for the` spikes 59. The case is the same for the spike 56.

It should be noticed that these spikes v59 have a lanceolated outline so that after they have perforated the bottom of the reservoir 32 they can no longer choke the perforations thus made.

In these Figures 7 and 8 isalso illustrated an. other form of construction of the means of opening the bag or case by closing its bottom with a fusible element 229, the melting of which allows, as shown in Fig. 8, the passage of hot water 2I on to the-substances?! in the bag.' A

In Figs. 7 toi-9,'insulated rings 52- are fitted o the `body I of the containers ier allowing-them to be carried without bur-ningV` the Vusci-shand dur-v ingoperation. i

Thereloadi-ng of the apparatus after. use is `pier-- formed substantially as in the case ofthe preceding Figs. 5 and 6. It is suihcient-tothisendto raise the removable bar V5U, to remove thereser- Voir 32 andthe heating cartridge i6 and to replace same by a new. reservoiranda new cartridge, after whichithe -b-ar 55 is reinserted. The bag 25-is=a1so removed and replaced byv another suitably chosen bag. Thecontainer is filledV with water and thezfusible member I4 is also-changed.

The apparatus illustrated in Fig. `10 isof a similar designand diiers'only in the following points. When for instance the apparatus is to be used on an excursion in high mountains or in Very cold countries, it may be of advantage to load the apparatus with water or snow only at the moment of using it, by reason of the useless dead weight formed by such water and of the risk of freezing.

In this case, by reason of the very cold atmospheric circumstances, it is necessary to provide many more heat units without increasing for this reason either the weight or size of the heating elements.

This result may be obtained by recovering the steam escaping normally from the heating cartridge and in constraining the same to pass through the mass of water to be heated while maintaining a certain pressure on the same. In the form of construction of Fig. 10, the removable bar 50 is secured inside suitably grooved members 62 carrying the starting arrangement which has just been described. The cup 42 is then closed by a cover 63 with a hinge 64 and a closing hook 65. A joint 66 allows, when the cover is closed, perfect hermetic seal to be obtained for said cup whereby the steam evolved during reaction by the cartridge can no longer diffuse into the atmosphere. It is on the contrary constrained to enter a worm 61 surrounding said cartridge and to flow throughout the same before finally escaping through the small diameter opening 68 at the upper end of the return branch of the worm.

A similar arrangement for Vrecovering steam may obviously be provided in association with any of the forms of construction of Figs. 1 to 9.

Similarly the system for opening the bag or case containing the substances 21 may be of any of the types disclosed whatever may be the form of construction selected for the container. It may also be designed in a different manner, for instance under the form of an actual bag formed of two sheets of a thin yielding material wound round the heating cartridge, provided a fusible element is always resorted to for producing its automatic opening when the water inside which it is immersed has reached a suiicient temperature.

The reservoir 32 may also be designed in a manner such that its perforation does not lead to its being immediately cast off, by providing for said perforations to be formed in elements adapted to be reloaded or changed.

As to the number of inner tubes I8 provided in the heating cartridges it may indifferently, as in the case of Figs. 1 to 6, be reduced to a single tube arranged axially or else be increased so that the tubes may be uniformly distributed throughout the mass to be oxidised as illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10.

Lastly, as obvious and as apparent from the preceding disclosure, my invention is by no means limited to the single forms of construction described hereinabove by way of examples and it covers on the contrary all modifications thereof falling within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a beverage container of the type adapted to be subjected to a rise of temperature just prior to consumption of said beverage, a device for permitting Athe beverage to be raised above the level thereof present within said container, by atmospheric pressure upon the body of liquid therewithin, including a relatively elongated tube, spring means for raising the major portion of said tube above said container, restrainingv means normally holding said tube within said container, said restraining means being rendered ineffective only when heated to a predetermined temperature inferior to the temperature attained by said beverage just prior to the consumption thereof, but superior to normal circumambient atmospheric temperature, whereby heating of said beverage releases said tube, and said spring means raises the tube until the upper end thereof is accessible, so that atmospheric pressure upon the liquid surface therewithin may be reduced by pulmonary means, thereby causing upward liquid flow through said tube.

2. A beverage raising device as defined in claim 1, wherein said restraining means comprises a material fusing within the temperature range defined in claim 1.

3. A beverage raising device as defined in claim 2, wherein said fusing material comprises a metallic alloy.

4. A beverage raising device as defined in claim 1, wherein said tube is provided with a closure element upon the upper end thereof, removable only after said tube has been raised.

5. A beverage raising device as dened in claim 1, wherein said restraining means comprises a, fusible element overlying the upper end of said tube, while the tube is in the depressed position thereof.

6. A beverage raising device as defined in claim 1, wherein said container is provided with a vertically extending cylindrical chamber of greater length than said tube and of a diameter at the upper end reduced to a size permitting said tube to move upwardly therein, said restraining means closes the upper end of said chamber, and said spring means comprises a coiled spring, normally compressed between the lower end of said tube and the bottom of said chamber.

7. A beverage raising device as defined in claim l, wherein said beverage is in close thermal association with said restraining means.

' ALBERT GOURGUES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 654,174 Murmann et al. July 24, 1900 720,435 Jewett Feb. 10, 1903 972,304 White Oct. 11, 1910 1,203,217 MacGregor Oct. 3l, 1916 1,751,387 Bielek Mar. 18, 1930 1,997,914 Pollard Apr. 16, 1935 2,020,292 Eggert et al Nov. 12, 1935 2,052,307 Kennedy Aug. 25, 1936 2,288,895 Fink July 7, 1942 2,294,224 Daly Aug. 25, 1942 2,392,479 Humbert Jan. 8, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 161,501 Germany 1905 

